Daniel Dubois on his way back to a world title after making bold call for a comeback fight

After his knockout defeat by oleksandr usyk Under Wembley Arch in July, Daniel Dubois Now he has to come back in the race for the world title.

It is the second time Dubois has had to rebuild after falling short to Usyk in his first world title fight in 2023. ‘Dynamite’ managed to re-establish himself, even capturing the IBF title and becoming world champion in the process.

He has been given the chance to restart his career after accepting a final eliminator against Frank Sanchez for the IBF belt – but what does his path back to the world championships look like?

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How was Daniel Dubois given the final eliminator shot?

IBF third-ranked contender Efe Ajagaba turned down the chance for a rematch with Sanchez following his loss to fourth-ranked Sanchez in 2021. Moses will reap (ranked 5th) are being offered a title eliminator with Cuban.

Itauma’s focus was on different opponents, and the organization’s sixth-ranked heavyweight, Richard Torrez Jr., was the next fighter given the opportunity to face Sanchez.

After Torrez Jr. turned down the Sanchez bout, Dubois was next in line, securing the former IBF world champion a chance to get back into title action.

However, while Dubois could be described as opportunistic, Britain deserves credit for taking the most direct route to the world title.

Dubois could again be pitted against fighters lower in the rankings, allowing him to keep himself afloat and keep an eye on the heavyweight belt standings in the coming months.

Most of the division is struggling to stay in position if undisputed champion Usyk decides to start vacating titles in order to pursue more lucrative fights. Instead of waiting, Dubois is headed straight for a tough fight.

Frank Sanchez is the first step on the path to a comeback for Daniel Dubois

Frank Sanchez may not be a household name in the United Kingdom or the United States, but the Cuban has compiled a solid record of 25 wins and one loss, with 18 of his wins coming via stoppage.

Although his CV lacks big names in 2021 apart from a comfortable points win over Efe Ajagba, Sanchez has clearly been avoided – as demonstrated by the host of fighters who turned down the chance to face the 33-year-old. Sanchez’s only fight against a tough, world-class opponent ended in defeat when now-WBC interim world champion Agit Kabayel scored a seventh-round KO victory in 2024.

Nevertheless, Sanchez is of somewhat unproven quality, with potential opponents wary of his knockout power. Dubois will have to be careful to avoid the heavy hands of Sanchez, who has already lost three times by knockout.

Dubois will find that his own knockout power is too much for Sanchez, who lacks experience against elite opposition. By fighting a fight that no one else is willing to pick up, Dubois may be able to cut the queue and jump into world title contention in just one fight after losing his belt.

Is Daniel Dubois on a collision course with Dereck Chisora?

When the IBF first arranged a world title eliminator in June, there was confusion dereck chisora Had become the organization’s inevitable challenger at the beginning of the year. At the time, Chisora’s mandatory status required a fight with Dubois, who held the IBF title.

However, Dubois’ plan to unify all four belts with Oleksandr Usyk took priority over mandatory defense, leading to Chisora’s exit.

Chisora ​​is still the highest-ranked fighter in the IBF, ranked No. 2 – the organization does not currently have a No. 1 contender at heavyweight. Frank Warren, the promoter of both Chisora ​​and Dubois, had previously considered that the IBF might order Chisora ​​to fight again to maintain his mandatory status.

Chisora ​​is rumored to return to the Queensberry card on December 13 before the end of 2025. Wins for Chisora ​​and Dubois in their next bouts could theoretically set up a clash between the two.

Long wait for Oleksandr Usyk

If Dubois’ ultimate goal is to face Usyk for a third time, he may have to wait a while. Although not made public, sanctioning bodies establish an order for their mandatory challengers when there is a unified, or in the case of Uisk, an undisputed champion. It has been made clear that the WBO is next in the rotation, which has led to Joseph Parker being ordered to face Usyk, only for the heavyweight king to ask for a delay to recover from injury.

WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel was seen inside the ring after Usyk defeated Dubois at Wembley, suggesting he is next in line to Parker in the rotation, but there is no clear indication of which sanctioning body is second in line.

Fabio Wardley holds the WBA interim title, and will face Parker live on DAZN PPV on October 25. This will likely be the last in the IBF rotation, given that Usyk added the belt to his collection back in July. There is a possibility that Usyk chooses to vacate some belts to pursue more financially lucrative bouts – or retire from the sport altogether.

This would upgrade the interim title holders to full champions.

With no interim champion established by the IBF, Dubois will have to face another fighter ranked higher by the sanctioning body to regain his world title. In the meantime, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the IBF recreates an interim title, as they did when Dubois faced Filip Hrgovic in 2024. Fellow Brit Moses Itauma has been highly ranked with the IBF, meaning we could see an all-British bout for interim champion status – or perhaps full world title honours – in 2026.

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